


The Situation is in Hand

by storybored



Series: WHUMPTOBER (Tune in for suffering) [5]
Category: Constantine (TV), Hellblazer & Related Fandoms
Genre: Angst, Gen, Vaguelly introspective, post newcastle
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-10
Updated: 2018-11-10
Packaged: 2019-08-21 08:15:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,672
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16572917
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/storybored/pseuds/storybored
Summary: Cheryl just wanted what was best for John, he couldn't wallow about Newcastle forever.





	The Situation is in Hand

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Extremebooklover](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Extremebooklover/gifts).



Cheryl thought Johnny was doing ok all things considered. He was always anxious, even as a little boy. But after he got bigger, because Johnny never grew up, Not truly, he had trouble functioning by himself. But after Newcastle it was a thousand times worse. Cheryl was pretty sure if John wasn’t with her or in Ravenscar he was doing what he did when he was fifteen, sleeping on the subway. He wasn’t even twenty six. He should’ve spent his twenties bouncing in and out of relationships not the damned looney bin. He should’ve been settling down with someone, but if you asked Johnny he’d laugh and say he was in a loving relationship with magic, and she didn’t like to share.

Cheryl should’ve knocked some sense into him from the beginning. He could hate her for it but at least then he wouldn’t be a shell of a man,  _ boy _ , barely sleeping at night and trying to run on fumes in the day. Never moving from the couch or making much noise unless unless he was in a frenzied state trying to end back up at Ravenscar. Tony was losing his patience with John and didn’t want him around Gemma, especially after what happened with Astra. Tony liked to snap at John because John wouldn’t fight back anymore. He wouldn’t snarl and snap. He’d just retreat further into himself and whine, wait for Chas to come by and try to remedy the situation.

Cheryl glanced at the clock and looked at Gemma sitting in her chair eating her breakfast. John was sitting on the couch his elbows bracing against his knees blankly staring at the turned off television,”John?”

John didn’t respond to her, which wasn’t uncommon. But this wasn’t him ignoring her it was him not there,”Johnny?”

“John, I’m talking to you.” John didn’t even make a sound. Cheryl walked over to him and grabbed the back of his shirt. Causing him to jerk and look up at her extremely confused,”I’m taking Gemma to school you’ll be alone all day.”

John made a sound somewhere between a huff and a growl, his voice rusty from screaming,”It Monday already?”

_ ‘He’s lost four days. At least.’  _ Cheryl brushed a hand through his messy hair trying to neaten it slightly,”John, what day was the last day you remember?”

John looked at her a mix between frustration and irritation. Like he thought she was messing with him on purpose,”Friday, the 13th. Freya’s day.” 

“Johnny boy,” Her voice was soft and gentle,”It’s Wednesday, the 17th.”

John looked at her with a look of disbelief, like she was messing with him,” whatever you say.”

John still didn’t believe her but Cheryl didn’t have time for her brother’s fragile mental state, she’ll call Chas later and he’ll come up to sort him out. Chas was always the best at handling John,”Okay then, Chas might stop by later today. I’ll see you when I get home.”

Cheryl kissed his head and John returned to the thousand yard stare without saying goodbye. She picked Gemma up out of her booster seat and set her down as Gemma grabbed her bright pink jacket and backpack with charms of protection on it from John’s travels with Mucous Membrane. She picked up her work bag and set a final look at her brother before shutting the door and locking it behind him. She felt the bubble of magic that surrounded the apartment strengthen, she couldn’t use magic herself but that at least meant some part of John still cared about his own survival.

* * *

 

Cheryl completely blanked on calling Chas when she got to work, between meeting and a few parties for the children on career day and arguing with Tony again it just slipped her mind but it wasn’t the only time John had been left without supervision while Cheryl was at work but she should’ve called him as soon as she left the apartment and not have waited until she was alone because Johnny hated to feel weak even when they were kids. He’d walk on a broken leg if you’d allow him to, just to prove he was tough enough and was capable of doing it. It was going to get him killed before the magic would. Nothing was more fatal to John then himself. 

John was in the kitchen, not rooting around the fridge or the cabinets for alcohol or the packs of cigarettes Cheryl kept hiding from him. He was on the phone ordering something,”Yeah, yeah. Ring the buzzer. Ta.” 

Gemma dropped her bag by the door and ran into the kitchen attaching herself to John’s leg,”Squirt. Cheryl.”

Cheryl pulled her work bag on the table and began to pull out the work she had to correct and write in her grade book,”Who was that?”

John shrugged his right hand in his leather jacket pocket, he loved wearing that beat up thing,”Carry out. Didn’t wanna cook.”

“What are we having?”

“Pizza.” John set the phone back on the receiver and sighed,”And where is your darling husband?”

Cheryl sighed,”Wales. He should be back Saturday.”

“Best clear out by then, yeah?”

“Johnny you don’t have to go.” Cheryl went to grasp his right hand but he pulled away and walked, well limped out of the the kitchen with Gemma clamped around his leg. 

John lunged for his bag and nearly tripped on Gemma,”Oi, squirt! Watch the limbs.” 

Gemma just giggled in response as John made a half hearted attempt to dislodge her. He typically would attempt pick her up and then dramatically fail. But this time he was just lifting his leg and trying to shake her off,”John, is your hand alright?”

“Better than.” John made an exaggerated gesture before picking up Gemma and tossing her onto the couch as she giggled,”See fit as a fiddle.”

Cheryl looked at him critically, he was lying about something she just couldn’t pin down what. John turned the tv on to one of the kids shows Gemma watched. The doorbell rang and John beat her to answering it. She went back to checking off her gradebook without seeing who it was,”Money’s on the sink.” 

“I was getting paid?” Chas said carrying a pizza box and John’s magic bag.

“By my illustrious company.” John said taking the box and offering a piece to Gemma.

“Gemma, sweetheart eat at the table.” Gemma ran over to the table and was helped into her seat by Chas. 

“Your company is like your intelligence.” Chas sat down on John’s right side as he began to rifle through the bag, either looking for something or looking to make sure everything was still in his proper place,”Dim.”

John made a sound of hurt,” You suck.” 

Chas stuck out his tongue at John and Cheryl rolled her eyes,”How is Geraldine?”

Chas sighed,Giving me and Renee a hard time. Sort of like taking care of John.”

Cheryl smiled slightly,”Know the feeling.”

John looked offended,” OI! I am a goddamn delight.”

Chas looked relieved, John was joking or appeared to be which was wonderful. Huntoon said that was a mark of improvement. Cheryl still wasn’t sure what happened at Newcastle. Not what really happened. Not what John did and why he would often wake up screaming bloody murder. Gemma was starting to look rather tired, she wasn’t picked up from daycare until 7 because a few meetings ran later then Cheryl wanted and John didn’t have a car or was signed off to pick her up. Cheryl picked up Gemma and gently prodded her awake,”Gemma darling, bath and teeth then bed.” 

Gemma nodded tiredly against her mom as John and Chas said goodnight to her. John had his right hand pressed flat against the table as he leaned over the table to grab his bag and begin rifling through it. His face was taut and pale but Cheryl didn’t think too much of it because John had been in pain for awhile and she couldn’t pinpoint what was hurting. He’d been hurting since he was a child, and Cheryl couldn’t ever fix him. She tried but it only ever seemed to do more harm.

Cheryl left the boys unattended for less then ten minutes and that’s when the screaming match started. 

“DAMN IT JOHN WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING?”

“I NEEDED IT TO STOP CHAS I HAD TO STOP IT.”

“Stop what?”

“I can’t let it happen again.”

There were sounds of a struggle, and it sounded like someone (most likely John based off of size and health level alone) was losing. Cheryl quickly put Gemma to bed and ran into the living room seeing John catch Chas with a rather nasty elbow to the face and knee him hard in the stomach. Chas let him go mainly out of surprise and that’s all John needed to dodge Cheryl grabbing at him and he ran out the door. The door slammed shut and Chas sat up rubbing the side of his face, he’d might get a small bruise in the morning but he’d live. Cheryl got him an ice pack from the fridge and began to rifle through her bag. John’s doctor, Hunter or something, slipped her his business card when he was released into her care, told her to call in case John did anything out of character or harmful to himself and others. This wasn’t a typical fight between John and Chas, this was John freaking out and striking wildly like a cornered animal. She felt like she was betraying him by calling Doctor Huntoon and having John readmitted to Ravenscar nut she wanted him to get better. He had to get better, he was sick and needed help. She hated being sneaky but she didn’t want the police to call her again about John but this time she would be identifying his body, she already lost her other and one brother she couldn’t lose Johnny as well.


End file.
